Statement on protests for September 21

Amid relentless efforts to whitewash history from our textbooks, and amid continuing state-sponsored violence and unchecked corruption, various groups are set to gather in Liwasang Bonifacio on September 21 to mark 51 years since the declaration of Martial Law by the Marcos dictatorship.

May be an image of 2 people and text that says "Statement on Protests for September 21 BAYAN"

Whether it’s the so-called Bagong Lipunan of the father or the sham Bagong Pilipinas of the son, our nation remains mired in human rights violations, economic decline and corruption. We see today a rising number of extrajudicial killings, abductions, arrests on trumped up charges, the use of the “terror law” against dissenters, and attacks on the freedom of expression. We see how public funds are misused and treated as unchecked and unaudited accounts by those in power. We see repression used to stifle protests against the worsening economic crisis.

Efforts to revise textbooks and curricula only end up creating the conditions for impunity. Denying history diminishes the lessons of resistance, making the people think that they are powerless in the face of such impunity.

On September 21, we intend to show the world that we have not forgotten and we continue to resist repression and seek justice for the victims from Marcos Sr to Marcos Jr. We ask participants to each bring photos of the victims of human rights violations then and now, and to light candles to illuminate the dire situation in the Philippines today. A thousand photos, and a thousand candles will show that our collective memory and resistance have not faded. ###

Categories: Statements

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